The noblest conquest ever made by man over the brute creation, is the
reduction of this spirited and haughty animal (_fig. 18._), which
shares with him the fatigues of war, and the glory of victory. Equally
intrepid as his master, the horse sees the danger, and encounters
death with bravery; inspired at the clash of arms, he loves it,
and pursues the enemy with the same ardour and resolution. He feels
pleasure also in the chace, and in tournaments; in the course he is
all fire; but equally tractable as courageous, he does not give way
to his impetuosity, and knows how to check his natural and fiery
temper. He not only submits to the arm which guides him, but seems to
consult the desires of his rider; and always obedient to the impression
he receives, he presses on, or stops, at his rider's pleasure. The
horse is a creature which renounces his very being for the service of
man, whose will he even knows how to anticipate, and execute by the
promptitude of his movements: he gives himself up without reserve,
refuses nothing, exerts himself beyond his strength, and often dies
sooner than disobey.
Such is the horse, whose talents and natural qualities art has
improved, and who with care has been tutored for the service of man;
his education commences with the loss of his liberty, and is finished
by constraint. The slavery or servitude of the horse is so universal,
and so ancient, that we rarely see him in his natural state. They are
always covered with harness when at work, and not wholly free from
their bands even in time of rest. If they are sometimes suffered to
range in the fields, they always bear about them marks of servitude,
and frequently the external impressions of labour and of pain: the
mouth is deformed by the wrinkles occasioned by the bit, the sides
scarred with wounds inflicted by the spur, and the hoofs are pierced
with nails. The attitude of the body constrained by the impression of
habitual shackles, from which they would be delivered in vain, as they
would not be more at liberty. Even those whose slavery is the most
gentle, who are only fed and broke for luxury and magnificence, and
whose golden chains only serve to satisfy the vanity of their masters,
are still more dishonoured by the elegance of their trappings, and by
the plaits of their manes, than by the iron shoes of their feet.
Nature is more beautiful than art, and in an animated being, the
freedom of its movements makes its existence more perfect. Observe the
horses in Spanish America, which have multiplied so fast and live in
freedom; their motions seem neither constrained nor regular; proud of
their independence, they fly the presence of man, and disdain his care;
they seek and find for themselves proper nourishment; they wander and
skip about in immense meadows, where they feed on the fresh productions
of a perpetual spring. Destitute of any fixed habitation, without any
other shelter than a mild sky, they breathe a purer air than those
which are confined in vaulted palaces. Hence wild horses are stronger,
swifter, and more nervous than the greater part of domestic ones; they
have strength and nobleness, the gifts of nature; while the others have
address and gracefulness, which is all that art can give.
The natural disposition of wild horses is not ferocious, they are only
high-spirited and wild. Though superior in strength to the greatest
part of animals, they yet never attack them; and if attacked by others,
they either disdain them as foes, and fly out of their way, or give a
fatal blow with their heels. They unite themselves in troops, merely
for the pleasure of being together, for they have no fear of, but an
attachment for each other. As grass and vegetables are sufficient for
their nourishment, they have quite enough to satisfy their appetites;
and as they have no relish for the flesh of animals, they never make
war with them, nor with themselves. They never quarrel about their
food, they have no occasion to ravish prey from each other, the
ordinary source of contention and quarrels among carnivorous animals.
They live in peace because their appetites are simple and moderate,
and having enough there is no object for envy.
All these circumstances may be observed in young horses which are
brought up and led together in droves; their manners are gentle, and
their tempers social; they seldom shew their ardour and strength by
any other sign than emulation. They endeavour to be foremost in the
course, are animated to brave danger, in crossing a river or leaping a
ditch: and those which in these natural exercises set the example, it
has often been observed, when reduced to a domestic state, are the most
generous, docile, and gentle.
Several ancient authors speak of wild horses. Herodotus says, that on
the banks of the Hypanes, in Scythia, there were wild horses quite
white, and that in the northern parts of Thrace, beyond the Danube,
there were others covered with hair five inches long. Aristotle also
cites Syria; Pliny the northern countries; Strabo, the Alps and Spain;
as places where wild horses were to be found. Among the moderns,
Carden mentions the same thing of Scotland and the Orkneys; Olaus, of
Muscovy; Dapper, of the Isle of Cyprus, which, as he says, contained
wild horses very beautiful, of great strength and swiftness; Struys,
of the Isle of May, one of the Cape de Verds, where he found wild
horses very small. Leo the African also relates that there were wild
horses in the desarts of Arabia and Lybia; and he assures us, that he
saw in the remotest parts of Numidia a white colt with a curled mane.
Marmol confirms this fact, asserting, that wild horses are found in the
desarts of Arabia and Lybia, small, and of an ash-colour; others white
whose manes and coats are short and rough; and that neither dogs nor
tame horses can equal them in swiftness; we read also, in the Letters
Edifiantes, that in China there are wild horses of a very small size.
As almost all parts of Europe are at present peopled, and equally
inhabited, wild horses are no longer found therein. Those in America
originate from European tame horses, transported thither by the
Spaniards; and have multiplied considerably in the vast desarts of this
country. The astonishment and fear which the inhabitants of Mexico and
Peru expressed at the sight of horses and their riders, is a strong
presumption that this animal was entirely unknown in the New World.
The Spaniards carried thither a great number, as well for service as
to propagate the breed. They left them on many islands, and even let
them loose on the continent, where they have multiplied like other wild
animals. M. la Salle, in 1685, saw in the northern parts of America,
near the bay of St. Louis, whole troops of these horses feeding in
the pastures, which were so wild that no one could approach them. The
author of the History of the Buccaniers, says, "That in the island of
St. Domingo, horses are sometimes seen in troops of 500, all running
together; that when they see a man, they all stop; and that one of
them will approach to a certain distance, snorts, takes flight and is
instantly followed by all the rest." He adds, "that he does not know
whether these horses, by becoming wild, have degenerated or not; but
that he did not think them so handsome as those of Spain, though they
are descended from the same breed. They have (continues he) large heads
and limbs, and their ears and limbs are also long; the inhabitants
easily tame them, and afterwards force them to work. To catch them,
nooses made of ropes are spread in places where they frequent; but if
they are caught by the neck they presently strangle themselves, unless
assistance is near; they are then fastened by the body and legs to the
trees, where they are left for two days without either food or drink.
This experiment is sufficient to make them somewhat tractable, and in
a little time they become as much so as if they had never been wild;
and even if by chance they regain their liberty, they never become so
again, but know their masters, and suffer themselves to be retaken
without trouble."
This proves that horses are naturally gentle, and disposed to be
familiar with man; they never seek to quit the abodes of men to
recover their liberty in the forests; on the contrary, they shew
great anxiety to return to their old habitations, where, perhaps they
find but coarse food, always the same, and generally measured out to
them with a sparing hand, without considering the strength of their
appetites. Custom, however, serves them in lieu of what they lose by
slavery. When worn with fatigue, the place of rest is to them the most
delicious; they smell it at a distance, can even find it out in the
midst of large towns, and in every thing seem to prefer slavery to
liberty. The customs to which they have been forced to submit, become
a second nature to them; for horses abandoned in the forests, have
been known to neigh continually to make themselves heard, to gallop
towards the human voice; and even to grow thin and perish in a short
time, notwithstanding they were surrounded with a variety of provender.
Their manners, then, almost wholly depend on their education, which is
accomplished with pains and cares which man takes for no other animal,
and for which he is well requited by their continual services.
It has long been the custom to separate the foals from their mothers
when five, six, or seven months old; for experience has proved, that
those which are suckled ten or eleven months, are not of equal value
with them which are weaned sooner, though they are generally fuller of
flesh. After six or seven months they are weaned; bran is then given
them twice a day, and a little hay, of which the quantity is increased
in proportion as they advance in age. They are kept in the stable as
long as they seem to retain any desire to return to the mares; but when
this desire ceases they are suffered to go out, and led to pasture; but
care must be taken not to suffer them to go out to pasture fasting;
they must have a little bran, and be made to drink an hour before they
are suffered to graze, and should never be exposed to great cold or
rain. In this manner they pass the first winter: in the May following
they may be permitted to graze every day, and to remain out in the
fields till the end of October, only observing not to let them eat the
after-grasss, for if they are accustomed to that delicacy they will
grow disgusted with hay, which ought, however, to be their principal
food during the second winter, together with bran mixed with barley or
oats wetted. They are managed in this manner, letting them graze in the
day time during winter, and in the night also during the summer, till
they are four years old, when they are taken from the pastures, and
kept on dry food. This change in food requires some precaution; for the
first eight days they should have nothing but straw, and it is proper
to administer some vermifuge drinks, to destroy those worms which may
have been generated from indigestion and green food. M. de Gaursault,
who recommends this practice, does it from experience; but at all ages,
and in all seasons the stomachs of horses are stuffed with a prodigious
number of worms. They are also found in the stomach of the ass; and
yet neither of these animals are incommoded thereby. For this reason
worms should not be looked on as an accidental complaint caused by bad
digestion and green food, but rather as a common effect depending upon
the nourishment and digestion of these animals.
Great attention must be paid in weaning young colts, to put them into
a proper stable, not too hot, for fear of making them too delicate and
too sensible of the impressions of the air. They should frequently have
fresh litter and be kept very clean, by frequently rubbing them down
with a wisp of straw. But they should not be tied up or curried till
they are near three years old, their skin being till then too delicate
to bear the comb. The rack and manger must not be too high, as the
necessity of raising their heads to reach their food may give a habit
of raising it in that fashion, and spoil their necks.
When about a year or eighteen months old, their tails ought to be
cut, as the hair will then grow stronger and thicker. From two years
old the colts should be put with the horses and the females with the
mares; without this precaution, the colts would fatigue and enervate
themselves. At the age of three years, or three years and a half, we
may begin to make them tractable; they should at first have a light
easy saddle, and wear it two or three hours every day; they should also
be accustomed to have a snaffle bit in their mouths, and to have their
feet lifted up and struck, to habituate them to shoeing; if designed
for coach or draught horses, they should also wear a harness. At first
a curb should not be used; they may be held by a cavesson, or leather
strap, and be made to trot on even ground, and with only the saddle
or harness on their bodies; and when they turn easily, and willingly
follow the person who holds the leather strap, the rough rider should
mount him and dismount again in the same place, without making him
move, till he is four years old, because before that age the weight of
a man overloads him[A]; but at four years he should be made to walk
or trot, a little way at a time, with the rider on his back. When a
coach horse is accustomed to the harness, he should be paired with a
horse that is thoroughly broke, putting on him a bridle with a strap
passed through it, till he begins to be used to his duty; after this
the coachman may try to make him draw, having the assistance of a man
to push him gently behind, and even to give him some blows to make him
do it. All this should be done before young horses have changed their
food, for when once they are on grain or hay they are more vigorous,
less tractable, and more difficult to break.
[A] This assertion of our author will meet with little credit in the
present day, when daily practice proves they may be completely trained
while rising three years, and have sufficient strength to enter the
lists on the course before they are four.
The bit and the spur are two means made use of to bring them into
order, the former for their guidance, and the latter to make them
increase their motion. The mouth does not appear formed by nature
to receive any other impressions than that of taste and appetite;
but there is so great a sensibility in the mouth of a horse, that,
in preference to the eyes and ears, we address ourselves to it, to
make him understand our pleasure; the slightest motions, or pressure
of the bit, is sufficient to inform and determine his course; and
this organ of sense has no other fault than its perfection. Its too
great sensibility requires particular management, for if it is abused
the mouth of the horse is spoiled, and rendered insensible to the
impression of the bit: the senses of sight and hearing cannot be dulled
in this manner; but in all likelihood it has been found inconvenient to
govern horses by these organs; besides, signs given them by the sense
of feeling have more effect on animals in general than those conveyed
by the eyes or ears. The situation of the eyes of horses, with relation
to those who mount or conduct them, is very unfavourable; and, though
they are frequently conducted and animated by the ear, it appears that
the use of this organ is limited to common horses, because in the
menage they are seldom spoken to; in fact, if they are well broke the
smallest pressure of the thighs, or most trifling motion of the bit, is
sufficient to direct them. The spur is even useless, or at least it is
only made use of to force them to violent motions; and as through the
folly of the rider it often happens, that in giving the spur he checks
the bridle, the horse finding himself excited on one side, and kept in
on the other, only prances and capers without stirring out of his place.
By means of the bridle horses are taught to hold up their heads, and
keep them in the most graceful position, and the smallest sign or
movement of the rider is sufficient to make the horse shew all his
different paces; the most natural is perhaps the trot, but pacing and
galloping is more pleasant for the rider, and these are the two paces
we particularly endeavour to improve. When the horse lifts up his fore
legs to walk, this motion should be performed with spirit and ease,
and the knee sufficiently bent. The leg lifted up should seem as if
suspended for a moment, and when let down the foot should be firmly
rested on the ground without the horse's head receiving any impression
from this motion, for when the leg suddenly falls down, and the head
sinks at the same time: it is usual to ease the other leg, which
has not strength to support the whole weight of the body. This is a
great fault, as well as that of carrying the foot too far out or in.
We should also observe, that when he rests on his heel it is a mark
of weakness, and when he rests on the forepart of his hoof it is a
fatiguing and unnatural attitude that he cannot long support.
Though walking is the slowest of all their paces, his step should be
light, brisk, and neither too long nor too short; his carriage should
be easy, which depends much on the freedom of his shoulders, and is
known by the manner in which he carries his head in walking; if he
keeps it high and steady, he is generally vigorous and quick. When the
motion of the shoulders is not free, the leg does not rise enough,
and the horse is apt to stumble, and strike his foot against the
inequalities on the ground. A horse should raise his shoulders, and
lower his haunches, in walking; he should also raise and support his
leg; but if he keeps it up too long, or lets it fall too slowly, he
loses all the advantage of his suppleness, becomes heavy, and fit for
nothing but to match with another for shew and parade.
It is not sufficient that his walk should be easy, his steps must be
also equal and uniform, both behind and before, for if his crupper has
a swinging motion while he keeps up his shoulders, the rider is much
jolted, and rendered uneasy; the same thing happens when the horse
extends his hind leg so much as to rest it beyond the same place in
which he rested his fore foot. Horses with short bodies are subject to
this fault; those which cross their legs or strike them against each
other, are not sure footed; in general those whose bodies are long, are
the most easy for the rider, because he is at a greater distance from
the two centres of motion, the shoulders and haunches, and therefore
less sensible of the jolting.
The usual method of walking among quadrupeds is to lift, at the same
time, one of the fore legs of one side, and one of the hind legs of
the other. As their bodies are sustained upon four points of support,
which form an oblong square, the easiest manner of moving for them is
to change two at once in the diagonal, in such a manner that the centre
of gravity of the body of the animal may rest always in the direction
of the two points which are not in motion. In the three natural paces
of the horse, the walk, the trot, and the gallop, this rule of motion
is always observed, though with some difference. In the walk there are
four beats, in the movement; if the right fore leg moves first the
left hind leg follows the instant after; then the left fore leg moves
forward in turn, and is followed instantly by the right hind leg; thus
the right fore foot rests on the ground first, the left hind foot next,
then the left fore foot rests, and lastly, the right hind foot, which
makes a movement of four beats, and at three intervals, of which the
first and last are shorter than the middle one. In the trot there are
but two beats; if the right fore leg goes off the ground the left hind
leg moves at the same time, and then the left fore leg moves at the
same time with the right hind one, in such a manner, that there are in
this movement only two beats and one interval; the right fore foot,
and the left hind foot, rest on the ground at the same time, as is
also the case with the left fore foot and the right hind one. In the
gallop there is usually three beats; but as in this movement there is a
kind of leaping of the two fore legs, the right ought to advance more
forward than the left, which ought to remain on the ground to serve as
a point of rest for the sudden jerk he takes: the left hind foot moves
the first, and rests the first on the ground; then the right hind leg
is lifted up conjointly with the left fore leg, and both rest on the
ground together; and lastly, the right fore leg is raised instantly
after the left fore leg and right hind one, and rests last on the
ground: thus in the gallop there are three beats and two intervals; in
the first interval, when the movement is made with haste, the four legs
are, for an instant, in the air at the same time, and the four shoes
may be seen at once. When the horse has supple limbs and haunches, and
moves with agility, the gallop is the more perfect, and the cadence
is made in four times; first, the left hind foot, then the right hind
foot, next the left fore foot, and, lastly, the right fore foot.
Horses usually gallop on the right foot, in the same manner as they
carry the fore right leg in walking and trotting; they also throw
up the dirt in galloping first with the right fore leg, which is
more advanced than the left; and the right hind leg, which follows
immediately the right fore one, is also more advanced than the left
hind leg, from whence it results, that the left leg, which supports all
the weight, and forces forwards the others, is the most fatigued; for
this reason it would be right to learn horses to gallop alternately
on the left and right legs, as they would then bear much longer this
violent motion; this is done in the riding-schools, but, perhaps for
no other reason than in traversing a circle, the centre of which
is sometimes on the right and sometimes to the left, the rider is
compelled to change hands.
In walking the horse almost scrapes the ground with his feet; in
trotting they are somewhat raised; and in galloping they are lifted up
still higher. The walk ought to be quick, light, and sure; the trot
should be firm, quick, and equally sustained, and the hind feet ought
to press forward the fore ones. The horse, in this pace should carry
his head high, and keep his body, straight, for if the haunches rise
and fall alternately at each motion, and if the crupper moves up and
down, and the horse rocks himself, he is too weak for this motion.
If he throws out his fore legs it is another fault; the fore legs
should tread in a line with the hind ones, and always efface their
tracks. When one of the hind legs is thrown forwards, if the fore leg
of the same side rests too long, the motion becomes uneasy from this
resistance, and it is for this reason that the interval between the
two beats of the trot should be short; but, be it ever so short, this
resistance is sufficient to make this pace more uneasy than walking or
galloping.
The spring of the houghs contributes as much to the motion of
galloping, as that of the loins; whilst the loins use their utmost
efforts to raise and push forward the hinder parts, the spring of the
hough, breaks the stroke, and lessens the shock: thus, the more pliant
and strong are the spring of their houghs, the more gentle and rapid is
their motion in galloping.
Walking, trotting, and galloping, are the most usual natural paces; but
some horses have another natural motion, called ambling, or pacing,
which is very different from the other three, and, at the first
glance appears extremely fatiguing to the animal, notwithstanding the
quickness of motion is not so great as the hard trot or gallop. In
this pace the foot of the horses grazes the ground still more than
in walking, and each step is much longer. But the most remarkable
circumstance is, that the two legs on the same side, for example, the
fore and hind legs on the right side, part from the ground at the same
time, and afterwards the two left legs, so that each side of the body
alternately is without support, which cannot fail to fatigue the animal
very much, being obliged to support itself in a forced balance by the
rapidity of a motion which is scarcely clear of the ground: for if
he raised his feet in this pace, as much as he does in trotting, or
walking quick, he could not fail falling on his side; and it is only
from almost grazing the earth, and the quickness of motion, that he
is enabled to support himself. In the amble, as well as in the trot,
there are but two beats in the motion; and all the difference is, that
in the trot the two legs which go together are opposite, in a diagonal
line; instead of which, in the amble, the two legs on the same side
go together. This pace is extremely fatiguing to the horse, and which
he should never be suffered to use but on even ground, but is very
easy for the rider; it has not the jolting of the trot, because in the
amble, the fore leg rises at the same time with the hind leg on the
same side, and consequently meets with no resistance in the motion.
Connoisseurs assure us, that horses which naturally amble, never trot;
and that they are much weaker than others who have not that pace; in
fact, colts often get into this pace, when they are forced to go fast,
and have not sufficient strength to trot or gallop; and we observe
also, that even good horses, when much fatigued, or begin to decline,
take of themselves to ambling.
We may then look upon this pace as proceeding from weakness or defect;
but there are still two other paces called broken ambles, one between
the amble and the walk, and the other between the trot and the gallop;
both of which are more defective than the amble, and proceed from
great fatigue or weakness in the loins; these paces are frequently
perceivable in almost worn-out post horses.
The horse, of all quadrupeds, with the noblest stature, has the
greatest proportion and elegance in all its parts. By comparing him
with those animals which are superior or inferior to him, we shall
see that the ass is ill-made; that the lion has too large a head; the
legs of the ox too thin and short, in proportion to the size of his
body; that the camel is deformed, and that those monstrous animals, the
rhinoceros and the elephant, are merely rude and shapeless masses. The
great length of the jaws is the principal difference between the heads
of quadrupeds and the human species; it is also the most ignoble mark
of all; yet, though the jaws of the horse are very long, he has not
like the ass, an air of imbecility; nor of stupidity like the ox. The
regularity and proportions of the parts of his head, give him an air
of sprightliness, which is well supported by the beauty of his chest.
He seems ambitious of raising himself above his state of a quadruped,
by holding up his head; and in this noble attitude he looks man in the
face. His eyes are lively and large, his ears well made, and of a just
proportion, without being short, like those of the bull, or too long
like those of the ass; his mane ornaments his neck, and gives him an
air of strength and courage; his long bushy tail covers and terminates
advantageously the extremities of his body. Far different from the
short tails of the stag, elephant, &c. and the naked tails of the ass,
camel, rhinoceros, &c. the tail of the horse is formed of long thick
hair, which seems to come from the crupper, because the stump from
which it grows is very short; he cannot raise his tail like the lion,
but it suits him better hanging down, as he can move it from side to
side, and drive away the flies which incommode him; for though his
skin is very firm, and well furnished with a close thick coat, it is,
notwithstanding, extremely sensible.
The attitude of the head and neck contributes more than all the other
parts of the body to give him a noble appearance; the superior part of
the neck, on which the mane grows, should raise itself in a straight
line from the withers, and, in approaching the head, form a curve
somewhat resembling the neck of a swan. The inferior part ought not to
have any curve, its direction should be a direct line from the chest
to the nether jaw, and a little bent forwards; if it was perpendicular
its beauty would be diminished. The superior parts of the neck should
be slim, with a little flesh about the mane, which should be moderately
ornamented with long sleek hair. A handsome chest and forehand should
be long and raised, but proportioned to the size of the horse; when
it is too long and thin the horse usually throws his head back, and
when too short and fleshy he pushes forwards too much; for the head to
be placed in the most advantageous position, the forehead should be
perpendicular to the horizon.
The head should be lean and small, without being too long: the ears
at a moderate distance, small, straight (but not stiff) narrow, and
well-placed on the top of the head; the forehead should be narrow,
and a little convex; the hollows or spaces between the eyes and ears,
well filled; the eyelids thin; the eyes clear, lively, full of fire,
rather large, and projecting; the pupil rather large; the nether
jaw thin; the nose a little arched; the nostrils large and open, and
divided by a thin partition; the lips thin, the mouth of a moderate
width; the withers raised and sloping, the shoulders flat, and not
confined; the back equal, insensibly arched lengthways, and raised on
each side of the back bone, which should appear indented; the flanks
full and short; the rump round and fleshy; the haunches well covered
with muscular flesh; the stump of the tail thick and firm; the thighs
thick and fleshy; the houghs round before, and broad on the sides; the
shank thin and small; the fetlock strong and covered with a tuft of
hair behind; the pasterns large, and of a middling length; the coronet
rather raised; the hoof black, smooth, and shining; the instep high;
the quarters round; the heels wide and moderately raised; the frog
small and thin, and the sole thick and hollow.
Few horses possess this assemblage of perfection; the eyes are subject
to many faults, which are sometimes difficult to be known. In a sound
eye, we ought to see through the cornea two or three spots of the
colour of soot, above the pupil; for to see those spots, the cornea
must be clear, clean, and transparent; if it appears double, or of a
bad colour, the eye is not good; a small, long, and straight pupil,
encompassed with a white circle, or when it is of a blueish green
colour, the eye is certainly bad.
I shall at present only add some remarks, by which a judgment may be
formed of the principal perfections and imperfections of a horse. It
is very easy to judge of the natural and actual state of the animal
by the motion of his ears; when he walks, he should incline forwards
the points of his ears; when jaded his ears hang low; those which
are spirited and mischievous, alternatively carry one of their ears
forwards, and the other backwards: they all turn their ears to that
side on which they hear any noise, and when struck on the back, or on
the rump, they turn their ears backward. Horses who have the eyes deep
sunk in the head, or one smaller than the other, have usually a bad
sight; those whose mouths are dry, are not of so healthy a temperament
as those which have their mouths moist, and make the bridle frothy. A
saddle horse ought to have the shoulders flat, supple, and not very
fleshy; the draft horse, on the contrary, should have them flat, round,
and thick; if, notwithstanding, the shoulders of a saddle horse are
too thin, and the bones shew themselves through the skin, it is a
defect which proves the shoulders are not free, and consequently the
horse cannot bear much fatigue. Another fault of a saddle horse is,
to have the chest project too forward, and the fore legs placed too
far backward, because he is apt in this case to rest on the hand in
galloping, and even to stumble and fall. The length of the legs should
be proportionable to the height of the horse; when the fore legs are
too long he is not sure-footed, if they are too short, he bears too
heavy on the hand. It is a remark that mares are more liable than
horses to be low before, and that stone-horses in general have thicker
necks than mares or geldings.
The most important thing to be known, is the age of a horse. As they
advance in years the eye-pits commonly sink, but it is from the teeth
that we obtain the most certain knowledge of their age; of these the
horse has 40, 24 grinders, four eye teeth or tushes, and 12 incisive
teeth. Mares have no eye teeth, or if they have them they are very
short; it is from the front and eye teeth alone we are enabled to form
any judgment of their age. The front teeth begin to shew themselves a
few days after the birth of the foal, these first teeth are round,
short, and not very solid; they drop out at different times to make
room for others. At two years and a half the four front middle teeth
drop out, two at top, and two at bottom; a year after four others fall
out, one on each side of the first, which are already replaced; At
four years and a half, four others drop out, always on each side of
those which have been shed and replaced; these four last milk teeth are
replaced by four others, which do not grow near so last as those which
replaced the first eight; and these four last teeth which are called
the wedges, or corner teeth, as those by which the age of a horse is
distinguished; these are easily known, since they are the third, as
well at top as at bottom, beginning to count from the middle of the
extremity of the jaw; these teeth are hollow, and have a black mark
in their cavities. At four years and a half, or five years old, they
scarcely project beyond the gums, and their cavities are plainly seen.
At six years and a half they begin to fill up, the mark also begins
to diminish gradually, till he comes to seven years and a half, or
eight years, when the hollow is entirely filled up and the black mark
effaced. After the animal has attained this period, it is common to
attempt to judge of his age by the eye teeth, or tusks; these four
teeth are placed at the side of those which we have just described.
Neither the eye teeth, nor grinders, are preceded by others which fall
out. Those of the interior jaw usually begin to shoot at three years
and a half, the two of the upper jaw at the age of four, and till the
animal is six years old they are very sharp; at ten years old the
upper ones appear already blunt, worn, and long, because the gum wears
away with age, and the more it appears worn away, the more aged is the
horse. From 10 till 13 or 14 years, there is hardly any indication of
the age; when some of the hairs on the eye-brows begin to grow white;
but this indication is equivocal, since it has been remarked that
horses engendered from old stallions and old mares have the hair white
on the eye-brows by the age of 10 years. There are also horses whose
teeth are so hard that they do not wear, and upon which the black mark
subsists and is never effaced; but these are easily known by the length
of the eye teeth. We may also know, though with less precision, the age
of a horse by the ridges of the palate, which are effaced in proportion
to his age.
By the age of two, or two years and a half, the horse is in a state to
engender; and mares, like all other females, are still more forward;
but these young horses produce only foals ill-shaped, or of bad
constitutions. The horse should at least be four or four years and a
half before he is admitted to the mare, and even that is too early,
unless for draught and large horses. It is necessary to wait till the
sixth year for a fine breed, and the Spanish stallion should not be
admitted before the seventh. The mares may be a year younger; they are
usually in season from the end of March to the end of June; but they
are most fit to receive the male for about fifteen days or three weeks,
and this is the best period for admitting them to the stallion. He
should be chosen with care, handsome, well made, vigorous, perfectly
sound, and of a good breed. To have handsome saddle-horses, foreign
stallions, as Arabian, Turkish, Barbary, and Andalusian horses, are
preferable to all others; and even, notwithstanding their faults, the
English horses may be successfully made use of, because they came
originally from the above-mentioned, and are not much degenerated;
the food being excellent in England, where they are also very careful
in keeping up the breed. The stallions of Italy, especially those
of Naples, are very good, and produce handsome saddle-horses, when
coupled with well-shaped mares, and fine coach-horses when with mares
of a large stature. It is pretended, that in France, England, &c. the
Arabian and Barbary horses usually beget horses larger than themselves,
and that the Spanish horses produce a smaller breed. To have handsome
coach-horses we should make use of Neapolitan and Danish stallions,
or those from Holstein or Friezeland. The stallions should be full
14 hands and a half high for saddle-horses, and fifteen hands for
coach-horses; a stallion should also have a good coat, black as jet,
or of a fine grey, bay, or chesnut. All which seem in their colour
as if they were washed or ill-coloured should be banished from the
breed, as well as those which have white extremities. Besides these
exterior, a stallion should also have the best interior, qualities,
such as courage, docility, spirit, and agility; sensibility in the
mouth, freedom in his shoulders; he should be sure footed, supple in
the haunches, and have a spring in the whole body, but above all in
his hind legs, and should have been well broke and trained. These
particulars it is the more necessary to observe in the choice of
a stallion, because it has been remarked, that he communicates by
generation almost all his good and bad qualities, both natural and
acquired. A horse, naturally morose, gloomy, stubborn, &c. produces
foals of the same disposition: and as the defects of conformation, as
well as the vices of the humours, perpetuate with still more certainty
than the natural qualities, great care should be taken to exclude from
the whole stud all deformed, vicious, glandered, broken-winded, or mad
horses.
In these climates the mare contributes less than the stallion to the
beauty of the foal, but she contributes perhaps more to his temperament
and form; thus it is necessary that the mares should be strong and
large bodied, and good nurses, in order to breed beautiful horses.
The Spanish and Italian mares are preferred for an elegant breed,
and those of England for draught and coach-horses. The mares of all
countries may, nevertheless, produce handsome horses, provided they are
themselves well made, of a good breed, and have proper stallions; for
if they are engendered from a bad horse the foals which they produce
will frequently prove defective. In this species of animals, as well
as in the human race, the young frequently resemble their male or
female ancestors; only it appears, that in horses the female does not
contribute so much to generation as in the human species, where the son
oftener resembles the mother than the foal does the mare; and when the
foal resembles the mare which has produced it, it is usually in the
fore parts of the body, as the head and neck.
To judge well of the resemblance of children to their parents, the
comparison should not be made in their youth; we ought to wait till
they are arrived at puberty; for there happens at this period so sudden
a change of the parts that it may be possible to mistake, at the first
glance of the eye, a person whom we have known perfectly well before
that period, but have not seen since. Till after puberty, then, we
ought not to compare the child with its parents, if we would judge
accurately of the resemblance, as then the son frequently resembles
his father, and the daughter her mother, and frequently the child
resembles both at once. Sometimes children resemble the grandfathers or
grand-mothers, and even uncles and aunts. Almost always children of the
same parents are like each other, and all have some family-likeness.
In horses, as the male contributes more to generation than the female,
mares frequently produce colts which are very like the stallion, or
which always resemble their father more than their mother; and when
the brood-mare has herself been begot by a bad horse, it frequently
happens that, though she had a beautiful stallion and is handsome
herself, she shall yet produce a foal which, however in appearance
handsome and well made in its early youth, degenerates as it grows
older; while a well-bred mare produces foals, which though at first
they have an unfavourable appearance, grow handsomer as they advance in
age.
These observations which seem all to concur in proving that in horses
the male has greater influence than the female on their progeny, do not
appear sufficient to establish this fact in an indisputable manner. It
is not impossible, but that these observations may subsist, and yet in
general the mare may contribute as much as the horse to the production
of their issue; for it is not astonishing that stallions, always chosen
out of a great number, generally brought from warm climates, high-fed,
kept and managed with great care, should have the sway in generation
over common mares, bred in a cold climate, and frequently obliged to
labour. But if the beautiful mares of warm countries were selected
out, managed with equal care, and covered by common horses of our own
country, I think there cannot be a doubt but the semblance of the
females would be superior to the males, and that among horses, as well
as in the human species, there would be an equality in the influence
of the male and female in their young, supposing a similarity in the
accordant circumstances. This appears natural, and the more probable,
as it has been remarked in studs that an equal number of male and
female foals are bred, which proves that, at least as far as regards
the sex, the female has equal influence.
Mares are generally in season nine days after their delivery, when
the horse ought to be taken to them, in the choice of which attention
should be paid to his figure being perfect in those parts wherein
the mare may be deficient. The breed of horses, at least such as are
handsome, require an infinite degree of care and attention, and is
accompanied with considerable expence. The mares and foals should be
kept in rich inclosures, and if alternately grazed by oxen and horses
it will be an advantage, as the former constantly repairs the injuries
done by the latter; each of these inclosures should contain a pond,
which is preferable to a running stream, and be also provided with
trees to shelter them from the heat of the sun; when, however, the
winter season commences they should be taken into the stable and be
well supplied with hay.
The stallion should always be kept in the house; he should be fed with
more straw than hay, and be moderately exercised until the season for
covering, when he should be fed plentifully, though with nothing but
common food. If managed with proper care he may be led to 15 or 18
mares with success in the course of the season, which, as we before
observed, continues from the end of March to the end of June.
It has been remarked, that studs, situated in dry and light countries,
produce active, swift and vigorous horses, with nervous legs, and
strong hoofs, while those which are bred in damp places, and in fat
pasturage, have generally large heavy heads, thick legs, soft hoofs,
and flat feet. This difference arises from the climate and food, which
may be easily understood; but, what is more difficult to comprehend,
and essential to be known, is, the necessity of always crossing, or
mixing the breed of horses to prevent their degenerating.
There is in nature a general prototype of each species, from which each
individual is modelled, but which seems in procreation to be debased,
or improved, according to its circumstances, insomuch, that in relation
to certain qualities, there is a strange variety in the appearance of
individuals, and at the same time a constant resemblance in the whole
species.
The first animal, the first horse, for example, has been the exterior
and interior model, from which all horses that have existed, or
shall exist, have been formed; but this model, of which we are only
acquainted with copies, may have fallen off, or arrived at greater
perfection, by multiplying and communicating its form. The original
form subsists entire in each individual; but though there are
millions of individuals, yet no two exactly resemble each other, nor,
consequently, the model from which they are sprung. This difference,
which proves how far Nature is from making any thing absolutely
perfect, and how well she knows how to shade her works, is exactly
the same in the human species, in all animals, and in all vegetables;
and what is singular, the model of what is handsome and excellent is
dispersed through all parts of the earth, and that in each climate
there is a portion thereof, which perpetually degenerates, unless
united with another portion taken from a distant country; so that to
have good corn, beautiful flowers, &c. it is necessary to change the
seeds, and that they never should be sown in the same ground where
they grew. To have fine horses, dogs, &c. it is proper for the males
and females to be of different countries. Without this being attended
to, corn, flowers, and animals, will degenerate, or rather take so
strong a tincture of the climate as to deform and bastardize the
species; the form remains, but disfigured in all the lines which are
not essential thereto; by mixing, on the contrary, the kinds, and above
all, by crossing their breed with foreign species, their forms seem to
become more perfect.
I shall not here enter into the causes of these effects, but indicate
the conjectures which readily present themselves. We know from
experience that animals or vegetables transplanted from a distant
climate frequently degenerate, and sometimes are improved in a short
time. It is easy to conceive, that this effect is produced by the
difference of the climate and food. The influence of these two causes
must at length render these animals exempt from, or susceptible of,
certain affections or certain disorders; their temperament must
gradually change; consequently their form, which depends partly on the
food and the quality of the humours, must also change in their progeny.
This change is indeed almost imperceptible in the first generation,
because the male and female, supposed to be the stock of this race,
being completely grown, had taken their consistence and form before
they were brought from their own country; the new climate, and new
food may, indeed, change their temperament, but cannot have influence
enough on the solid parts, and organs to alter their form, consequently
the first generation will be no ways changed, nor will the original
stock at the time of birth be degenerated: but the young and tender
animal will feel the influence of the climate, and receive a stronger
impression than its father and mother had done. The food will also
have a greater effect, and act upon the organic parts during the time
of its growth, change a little the original form, and produce therein
those seeds of defects which manifest themselves in a very conspicuous
manner in the second generation, where the progeny will not only have
its own defects which arise from its growth, but also the vices of the
second stock. In the third generation, the defects, which proceed from
the influence of the climate and food, combined with those of influence
on the actual growth, will become so visible, that the character of
the first stock will be effaced. Thus animals of a foreign race soon
lose their particular qualities, and in every respect resemble those
of the country. Spanish or Barbary horses, if the breed is not crossed
frequently, become in France, French horses, in the second generation,
and always in the third. We are, therefore, obliged to cross the breed
instead of preserving it, and renew the race at each generation, by
giving the horses of Barbary or Spain, to the mares of the country; and
what is more singular, this renewal of the race, which is only done
in part, produces much better effects than if the renewal was entire.
A Spanish horse and mare in a foreign country do not produce such
handsome horses as those which are bred from a Spanish horse and a mare
of the country; this is easy to be conceived, if attention is given to
the amendment of natural defects, which will be produced when a male
and female of different countries are put together. Each climate, by
its influence, and by that of its food, gives a certain conformation of
parts, which offends either by excess or defects. In a warm climate,
there will be in excess what will be deficient in a cold climate,
therefore, when we join together animals of those opposite climates,
we must expect the produce to be complete; and as the most perfect
work in Nature is that which has the fewest defects, and the most
perfect forms, those that have the fewest deformities, so the produce
of two animals, whose defects exactly counterbalance each other, will
be the most perfect production of its species: they counterbalance one
another the better, in proportion to the distance between the countries
the animals matched together were bred in; the compound that results
therefrom is the more perfect, the more opposite the excesses or
defects of the constitution of the male are to the defects or excesses
of the temperament of the female. Thus the breed is always improved by
matching the mares with foreign horses, and they will always be more
beautiful in proportion as the climates in which the horse and mare
were bred are the more distant, and, on the contrary, the produce will
be much debased by suffering horses of the same race to breed together;
for they infallibly degenerate in a very little time.
The climate and food have not so much influence on the human species
as on animals; and the reason is plain: man can defend himself better
than any other animal from the intemperance of the climate; he is
lodged and clothed suitably to the seasons; in his food also there is
more variety, and consequently it cannot influence all individuals
in the same manner. The defects or excesses which arise from these
two causes, and which are so constantly and so sensibly felt in
animals, are much less conspicuous in men. Besides, as there have been
frequent migrations, as nations are mixed, and great numbers travel
and are dispersed every where, it is no wonder that the human race
should appear less subject to the influence of climate, and that there
should be men strong, well-made, and even ingenious in all countries.
Nevertheless, we may believe, from experience much further back than
memory can trace, that men formerly knew the misfortunes which resulted
from alliances with the same blood; since in the most uncivilized
nations, it has rarely been permitted for the brother to marry the
sister. This custom, which among Christians is a divine law, and
which is practised by other people from political views, is perhaps
grounded on this observation. Policy is never extended in so general
and absolute a manner, unless supported by physical principles: but if
men once discovered by experience that their race degenerated, when
intercourse was admitted between children of the same family, they
would soon have looked upon alliances with other families as a law of
nature, and agreed in not suffering a mixture of blood among their
children. In short, from analogy it may be presumed, that in most
climates men would degenerate, as well as animals, after a certain
number of generations.
Another influence of the climate and food is, the variety of colours
in the coats of animals: those which are wild, and live in the same
climate, are of the same colour, which becomes a little lighter, or a
little darker, in the different seasons of the year; on the contrary,
those which live in different climates are of different colours, and
domestic animals vary so much, that there are horses, dogs, &c. of all
colours, while the stags, hares, &c. are almost uniformly of the same.
The injuries of the climate, always the same, and constantly eating
the same food, produce, in wild animals, this uniformity. The care of
man, the comforts of shelter, the variety of food, efface and vary
the colour in domestic animals; as does also the mixture of foreign
racers, when no care has been taken to assort the colours of the male
and female, which sometimes produces beautiful singularities, as we see
in pied horses, where the black and the white are so whimsically mixed
that they sometimes do not seem the work of nature, but rather the
fancy of a painter.
In coupling horses the colour and height should be attended to; the
shapes should be contrasted, the race should be mixed with opposite
climates, and horses and mares bred in the same stud should never be
coupled together. All these are necessary cautions, and there are still
some others not to be neglected; for example brood-mares ought never to
be docked, because, being unable to defend themselves from the flies,
they are continually tormented, and the constant agitations which the
stings of these insects occasion diminish the quantity of their milk,
which has great influence on the temperament and size of the foal,
which in every respect will be more vigorous as the mother is more
capable of nursing it. It is also preferable to choose brood-mares
from such as have always been kept at grass, and have never been hard
worked. Mares which have been kept in stables on dry food, and are
afterwards put to grass, do not immediately conceive; they must have
time to accustom themselves to this new kind of nutriment.
Although the usual season of mares is from the beginning of April to
the end of June, yet it frequently happens that some are so before that
time; but which it would be better to let pass off, because the foal
in such case would be brought forth in winter, and suffer both from
the intemperance of the season, and badness of milk; and also, if a
mare does not become proud till after the month of June, she should not
be suffered to take horse, because the foal being produced in summer,
cannot acquire strength enough to resist the injuries of the ensuing
winter.
Many people, instead of conducting the stallion to the mare, let him
loose in a park, where a number of mares are kept, and leave him
at liberty to single out those which are in season: this method is
good for the mares, and they will breed with more certainty; but the
stallion is more hurt in six weeks than he would be well managed in as
many years.
As soon as the mares are with foal, and their bellies begin to grow
heavy, they must be separated from those which are not so, lest they
should be injured. They usually go with foal eleven months and some
days; they bring forth standing upright, while almost all other
quadrupeds lie down: in some cases, when the delivery is difficult
they require assistance, and when the foal is dead, it is extracted
with ropes. The foal generally presents its head first, as do all
other animals; it breaks the membranes in the birth, and the waters
flow out abundantly; at the same time there is voided several solid
pieces of flesh formed by the liquor of the allantoides: these pieces,
which the ancients have called the hippomanes, are not, as they say,
pieces of flesh fastened to its head; but, on the contrary, separated
by the amnios. The mare licks the foal after its birth, but she does
not meddle with the hippomanes, notwithstanding the assertion of the
ancients, that she devours it immediately.
It is the usual custom to have the mare covered nine days after she
has foaled: not to lose time, and to make all they can from the stud;
yet it is certain, that the mare having a foal and foetus to provide
for, her strength is divided, and she is not able to give them so much
nourishment as if she had only one; it would, therefore, be better, in
order to have excellent horses, to let the mares be covered but once in
two years; they would last longer, and would not be so liable to drop
their foals; for in common studs it is a great thing when, in the same
year, half or two thirds produce foals.
The mares, when with foal, can bear to be covered, though there is
never any fresh conception: they usually breed till the age of 14 or
15 years, and the most vigorous not longer than 18. Stallions, when
they have been taken care of, may engender till they are 20 years old,
or upwards. The same remark has been made of these animals as of men,
viz. that those who have begun too early are soonest incapacitated; for
large horses, which sooner arrive at their growth than delicate ones,
are frequently incapable before they are fifteen.
The duration of the life of horses, like that of every other species of
animals, is proportioned to the time of their growth. Man, who is above
14 years in growing, lives six or seven times as long, to 90 or 100.
The horse, who attains his whole growth in four years, lives six or
seven times as long, that is, to 25 or 30. There are so few exceptions
to this rule that we cannot draw any precedents from them; and as
robust horses are at their entire growth in less time than delicate
ones, they also live less time, seldom exceeding 15 years.
It may be easily seen, that in horses, and most other quadrupeds,
the growth of the hinder parts is at first greater than those of the
anterior, whilst in man the inferior parts grow less at first than the
superior; for in a child the thighs and legs are in proportion to the
body, much less than those of an adult; on the contrary, the hind legs
of a foal are so long that they can touch its head, which they cannot
do when full grown. This difference proceeds less from the inequality
of the whole growth of the anterior and posterior parts, than from the
inequality of the fore and hind feet, which is constantly the case
through all Nature, and is most sensible in quadrupeds. In man the
feet are larger than the hands, and are also sooner formed; and in the
horse the foot forms the greatest part of the hind leg, being composed
of bones, corresponding to the tarsus, metatarsus, &c. It is not,
therefore, astonishing that this foot should be sooner extended than
the fore legs, the inferior part of which resembles the hands, being
composed of the bones of the carpus, metacarpus, &c. When a colt is
just foaled this difference is readily remarked; the fore legs compared
with the hind ones being much shorter in proportion than they are in
the sequel; besides, the thickness which the body acquires, though
independent of the proportions of the growth in length, occasions
more distance between the hind legs and the head, and consequently
contributes to hinder the horse from reaching it when arrived at his
full growth.
In all animals each species differs according to the difference of
climate, and the general result of this variety forms and constitutes
the different races. Of these we can only particularize the most
remarkable, which differ greatly from each other, passing the
intermediate shades, which here, as in every thing else, are infinite.
We have even augmented the number and confusion, by favouring the
mixture of these breeds; and we may be said to have almost inverted
Nature by bringing into these climates the horses of Africa or Asia,
and have so much raised the primitive race of France, by introducing
horses of all countries, that they are not now to be known, there only
remaining some slight traces, produced by the actual influence of the
climate. These traces would be much stronger, and the differences would
be much greater, if the race of each climate were preserved without
mixture; the small differences would be less shaded, and fewer in
number; but there would be a certain number of great varieties, that
all mankind might easily distinguish; instead of which, custom, and
even a long experience, are at present necessary to know the horses
of different countries. On this subject we have only the knowledge
drawn from the accounts of different travellers, and the ablest
riding-masters, such as Newcastle, Garsault, Guerinere, &c. and from
some remarks that Pignerolles, Master of Horse to the King of France,
and President of the Academy of Angers, has communicated.
The Arabian horses are the handsomest known in Europe, they are larger
and more plump than those of Barbary, and equally well shaped, but as
they are not often brought into France, few observations have been made
on their perfections or defects.
The horses of Barbary are more common, they have a long fine neck,
not too much covered with hair, and well divided from the withers;
the head is small and beautiful; the ears handsome and well-placed;
the back short and straight; the flanks and sides round without too
much belly; the haunches thin, the crupper generally long, and the
tail placed rather high; the thighs well formed, and seldom flat; the
legs handsome, well made, and almost without hair; the tendon large,
the foot well made, but frequently the pastern long; they are of all
colours, but most commonly grey. In their paces, they are always very
negligent, and must be often reminded: they are swift and strong,
very light, and well adapted for hunting. These horses seem the most
proper to breed from; and leave it only to be wished they were of
larger stature, seldom exceeding four feet eight inches high. It is
confirmed by experience, that in France, England, &c. they beget foals
larger than themselves. Among the Barbary horses, those of the Kingdom
of Morocco are the best; next, those of the mountains. The horses of
Mauritania, are of an inferior quality, as well as those of Turkey,
Persia, and Armenia. All the horses of warm countries have the hair
shorter and smoother than others. The Turkish horses are not so well
proportioned as those of Barbary; they have commonly the neck slender,
the body long, and the legs too thin. They will, however, travel a
great way, and are long winded; this will not appear surprising if
we consider, that in warm countries the bones of animals are harder
than in cold climates and it is for this reason that, though they have
smaller shank bones, their legs are stronger.
The Spanish horses which hold the second rank after those of Barbary,
have a long, thick, and hairy neck; the head rather large, the ears
long, but well placed; the eyes full of fire, and have a noble
stately air; the shoulders are thick, and the breast large; the loins
frequently rather low, the sides round, and often too much belly;
the crupper is usually round and large, though some have it rather
long; the legs thin, free from air; the pastern is sometimes long like
those of Barbary; the foot rather lengthened like that of a mule,
and frequently the heels too high. Spanish horses of the best breed
are plump, well-coated, and low of stature. They use much motion in
their carriage, and have great suppleness, spirit, and pride. Their
hair is usually black, or of a dark chesnut colour, though there are
some of all colours, and it is but seldom that they have white legs
or noses. The Spaniards have an aversion to these marks, and never
breed from horses that have them, chusing only a star in the forehead;
they however prefer those which have not a single spot, as much as the
French do those with particular marks. But these prejudices are perhaps
equally ill-founded, since there are exceeding good horses with all
kinds of marks, or entirely of one colour. These small differences in
the coats of horses do not, in any manner, depend on their qualities,
or their interior constitution, but originate from external causes, and
even those so superficial, that by a slight scratch on the skin a white
spot is produced. Spanish horses are all marked in the thigh with the
mark of the stud where they were bred. They are commonly of a small
stature, though there are some four feet nine or ten inches in height.
Those of Upper Andalusia are reckoned to be the best, though they are
apt to have the head too long; but this defect is excused in favour of
their excellent qualities: they are courageous, obedient, graceful,
spirited, and more supple than those of Barbary, for which talents they
are preferred to all other horses in the world, for war, for shew, and
for the menage.
The handsomest English horses have in their conformation great
resemblance to those of Arabia and Barbary, from which in fact they
originated: they have, notwithstanding, the head larger, but well
made, the ears longer, but well placed. By the ears alone an English
horse may be known from a Barbary; but the great difference is in
their stature, for English horses are much larger and plumper; they
are frequently five feet high; are of all colours, and have all kinds
of marks; they are generally strong, vigorous, bold, capable of great
fatigue, excellent for hunting and coursing; but they want grace and
suppleness in their shoulders. The race horses of this country are
exceedingly swift, as indeed are the saddle horses in general; of
which I cannot give a stronger proof than by giving an extract of a
letter I received from a British nobleman, (Earl of Morton) dated
London, February 18, 1748, which runs in these words: "Mr. Thornhill,
a post-master of Stilton, wagered that he would ride three times the
distance from Stilton to London, that is 215 English miles, within 15
hours. In undertaking the performance of which, he set out from Stilton
in the morning of the 29th of April, 1745, and arrived in London in
three hours and fifty-one minutes, having taken a relay of eight
different horses on the road; he immediately set out again from London,
and got back to Stilton in three hours and fifty-two minutes, having
changed horses but six times; for the third space he set off again,
and with seven of the same horses he completed it in three hours and
forty-nine minutes, going over the whole space of 215 miles in eleven
hours and thirty-two minutes; an example of swiftness that possibly is
not to be paralleled in ancient history."
The horses of Italy were formerly much handsomer than they are
at present, because the breed for some time has been neglected;
notwithstanding the Neapolitan horses are still handsome, especially
for carriages and draught horses; but in general they have large heads
end thick necks; they are untractable, and consequently not easily
managed; these defects are compensated by their noble form, their
stateliness, and the gracefulness of their motion.
The Danish horses are so superior in make and beauty, that they are
preferred to all others for carriages; some of them are perfectly
moulded, but their number is small; for the conformation of these
horses is seldom regular, most of them have thick necks, large
shoulders, their loins long and low, and the buttocks too narrow for
the thickness of the fore parts; but they are all graceful in their
motions, and in general very good for war, and for state: they are of
all colours, and some are spotted like tygers which are found no where
but in Denmark.
Germany produces very handsome horses, but they are generally heavy,
and short-breathed, though chiefly bred from Turkish and Barbary,
Spanish and Italian horses; for this reason they are not swift enough
for coursing or hunting, whilst the Hungarian and Transilvanian horses
are, on the contrary, light and good coursers. The Hungarians split
their nostrils, with a view, they say, of giving them more breath, and
also to hinder their neighing in battle. I have never had it in my
power to be convinced of this fact, that horses who have their nostrils
slit cannot neigh, but it appears to me that their neighing must be
weaker. It is remarked, that the Hungarian, Croatian, and Polish horses
have the mark in their mouths during life.
The horses of Holland are very good for coach-horses: the best come
from the province of Friesland: there are also some very good ones in
the provinces of Bergues and Juliers. The Flemish horses are greatly
inferior to the Dutch: they have almost all large heads, flat feet, and
are subject to humours; and these two last defects are essential ones
in coach-horses.
In France there are horses of all kinds, but very few handsome ones.
The best saddle-horses come from the Limosin, which resemble much
those of Barbary, and like them are excellent for hunting; but they
are slow in their growth, require great care while young, and must not
be used till they are eight years old. There are also some excellent
foals in Auvergne, Poitou, and in Moroant in Burgundy; but next to
the Limosin, Normandy furnishes the finest horses; they are not so
good for hunting, but are better for war: they have thicker coats,
and sooner attain their full growth. There are many good coach-horses
brought from Lower Normandy, which are lighter than those of Holland.
Franche-Compte, and the country round Boulogne, furnish very good
draught-horses. In general, the French horses have their shoulders too
thick, which in the Barbary horses are generally too narrow.
Having described those horses which are best known to us, we shall now
mention what travellers report of foreign horses with which we are
unacquainted. There are good horses in islands of the Archipelago:
those of the island of Crete were in great reputation among the
ancients for their agility and swiftness; they are at present but
little used even in that country, from its being almost every where
unequal, and very mountainous. The best horses in these islands, and
even in Barbary, are of the Arabian breed. The native horses of the
kingdom of Morocco are much smaller than those of Arabia, but very
light and vigorous. Shaw says, that the breed of Egypt and Tingitania
are preferable to all those of the neighbouring countries; and yet a
century ago there were good horses all over Barbary. The excellence of
these Barbary horses consists in their never stumbling, and in their
standing still whilst the rider dismounts or lets fall his bridle. They
walk fast and gallop with rapidity, but they are never suffered to trot
or amble; the inhabitants of the country looking upon those paces as
rude and ignoble. He adds, that the horses of Egypt are superior to all
others for their height and beauty; but these Egyptian horses, as well
as most of those of Barbary, sprung from Arabian horses, which are,
without contradiction, the most beautiful horses in the world.
According to Marmol, or rather Leon, the African, (for Marmol has
copied him almost word for word) the Arabian horses are descended from
the wild horses of the desarts of Arabia, of which, in ancient times,
large studs were formed, which have multiplied so much that all Asia
and Africa are full of them; they are so swift as to outstrip the very
ostrich. The Arabians of the desart, and the people of Lybia, breed
a great number of these horses for hunting, but neither use them in
travelling nor in their wars. They send them to pasture whilst there is
any grass, and when that fails they feed them with dates and camels'
milk, which makes them nervous, light, and lean. They lay snares
for the wild horses, and eat the flesh of the young ones, which they
affirm is very delicate. These wild horses are small, and are commonly
ash-coloured, though there are also some white ones, and the mane and
the hair of the tail is short and frizzled. Other travellers have given
curious accounts of the Arabian horses, of which we will only mention
the principal circumstances.
Let an Arabian be ever so poor he has horses; they usually ride upon
the mares, experience having taught them that they bear fatigue,
hunger, and thirst, better than horses; they are also less vicious,
more gentle, and will remain left to themselves, in great numbers,
for days together, without doing the least harm to each other. The
Turks, on the contrary, do not like mares, and the Arabians sell them
the horses which they do not keep for stallions. The Arabs have long
preserved with great care the breed of their horses; they know their
generations, alliances, and all their genealogies[B]. They distinguish
their breeds into three classes; the first, which are of pure and
ancient race on both sides, they call nobles; the second are of ancient
race, but have been misallied; and the third kind are their common
horses. The latter are sold at a low price; but those of the first
class, and even of the second, among which some are as good as those
of the first, are extremely dear. They never suffer the mares of the
noble class to be covered except by stallions of the same quality. They
are acquainted, from long experience, with the whole race of their own
horses, and even with those of their neighbours, and know their names,
surnames, colours, marks, &c. When they have no noble stallions of
their own they borrow one of a neighbour to cover their mares, which is
done in the presence of witnesses who give an attestation signed and
sealed before the secretary of the Emir, or some other public person,
in which the names of the mare and horse are written down, and their
whole generation set forth. When the mare has foaled witnesses are
again called, and another attestation is drawn up, which contains a
description of the foal, with the day of its birth. These certificates
enhance the value of their horses and are given to those who buy them.
The price of a mare of the first class is from one to three hundred
pounds sterling. As the Arabs have only tents for their houses, those
tents serve them also for stables: the mare and her foal, husband,
wife, and children, lie promiscuously together; the children will lie
on the body and neck of the mare and foal without being incommoded or
receiving the least injury; nay, the animals seem afraid to move for
fear of hurting them. These mares are so accustomed to live in this
familiarity that they will suffer any kind of play. The Arabs never
beat their mares, but treat them kindly, talk and reason with them;
they take great care of them, always letting them walk, and never
use the spur without the greatest necessity; as soon, therefore, as
they feel their rider's heel they set out with incredible swiftness,
and leap hedges and ditches with as much agility as so many does. If
their riders happen to fall, they are so well trained that they will
stop short even in the most rapid gallop. All Arabian horses are of a
middling size, very easy in their paces, and rather thin than fat. They
are dressed morning and evening regularly with so much care that not
the smallest spot is left on their skins; their legs, mane and tail are
washed; the latter is let to grow long, and seldom combed, to avoid
breaking the hairs. They have nothing given them to eat all day, and
seldom are allowed to drink above two or three times. At sun-set a bag
is fastened round their heads, containing about half a bushel of very
clean barley, which is not taken from them till the next morning when
all is eat up. In the month of March, when the grass is tolerably high,
they are turned out to pasture. At this time the mares are covered, and
immediately after cold water is thrown upon them. As soon as the spring
is past they are taken again from pasture, and have neither grass nor
hay, and seldom straw, all the rest of the year, barley being their
only food. They cut the manes of their foals at a year or eighteen
months old, in order to make it grow thick and long. They mount them
at two years old, or two years and a half at furthest, and till this
age they put neither saddle nor bridle on them. Every day, from morning
till night, all the Arabian horses stand saddled at the doors of the
tents.
[B] Of this we have a striking instance in _Pennant's Zoology_, which
contains the following attested paper:
(Taken before Abdorraman, Cadi of Acca.)
"The occasion of this present writing or instrument is hat at Acca, in
the house of Bedi, legal established judge, appeared in Court Thomas
Usgate, the English Consul, and with him Sheikhs Morad Eben al Hajj
Abdollah, Sheikh of the country of Safad: and the said Consul desired,
from the aforesaid Sheikhs, proof of the race of the grey horse which
he bought of him, and he affirmed to be Monaki Shaduhi[1]; but he was
not satisfied with this, but desired the testimony of the Arabs, who
bred the horse, and knew how he came to Sheikhs Morad; whereupon there
appeared certain Arabs of repute, whose names are undermentioned, who
testified and declared that the grey horse which the Consul formerly
bought of Sheikh Morad is Monaki Shaduhi of the pure race of horses,
purer than milk, and that the beginning of the affair was, that the
Sheikh Saleh, Sheikh of Alsabal bought him of the Arabs, of the tribe
of al Mahommedat, and Sheikh Saleh sold him to Sheikh Morad Ebn al Hajj
Abdollah, Sheikh of Safad, and Sheikh Morad sold him to the Consul
aforesaid; when these matters appeared to us, and the contents were
known, the said gentleman desired a certificate thereof, and testimony
of the witnesses, whereupon we wrote him this certificate for him to
keep as a proof thereof. Dated Friday 28 of the latter Rabi, in the
year 1135."